Cincinnati Bengals - TeamReport

July 10, 2014|Reuters

NFL Team Report - Cincinnati Bengals - INSIDE SLANT

Dalton must earn pay raise in Cincinnati

Following two consecutive seasons of disappointing playoff performances, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton may be on the hot seat when the team begins training camp practice July 24 in Paul Brown Stadium.

Dalton's contract negotiations have been an issue off the field so he literally needs to be a money player this season to make team officials more comfortable shelling over the cash. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is scheduled to make just less than $1.7 million.

It's hard not to be optimistic in shorts in June at the first day of mini-camp. Everyone looks great this time of year, it seems, and a few impressive practices don't shadow one touchdown to six interceptions in three postseason losses.

But, the chatter among coaches and players has been of Dalton leaving a good impression during the offseason program. His command is noticed. His control of the team is noticed. The compact power of his throw is felt by receivers after an offseason spent working with quarterbacks guru Tom House.

Dalton was drafted 35th overall in 2011, when he signed a four-year, $5.2 million contract. He became one of three quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in each of his first three seasons, joining Cam Newton and Peyton Manning, and just one of three to pass for at least 20 touchdowns in each of his first three seasons, joining Manning and Dan Marino.

Dalton is the only quarterback to take the Bengals to three consecutive playoff berths, and just one of five quarterbacks to lead his team to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons.

Now if he can just take the team a little deeper into the playoffs, team management certainly would reach deeper into its pockets.

While Dalton tries to prove himself worthy of a big raise, there are these other issues that are worth tracking in training camp:

KEY POSITION BATTLE

Offensive line: The battle to figure out who will start at center and left guard began slowly. Mike Pollak, expected to move in as a starting center, missed time with a knee injury. Last year's starting guard, Clint Boling, is rehabbing after an ACL tear.

That leaves Trevor Robinson as the starter at center. Andrew Whitworth temporarily moved from left tackle to guard. That is where he was at the end of last season when Boling and Kevin Zeitler were injured. Fourth-round pick Russell Bodine was running with the twos in OTAs.

WEAKEST POSITION

--TIGHT END: At this point last year, tight end was supposed to be the game-changing strength of the team with Jermaine Gresham coming off his second straight Pro Bowl and a first-round pick dedicated to Tyler Eifert.

The two-tight end set was expected to power the offense to the next level. Both played well and combined for 85 receptions, but two injuries forced them out of the offseason program. Expectations are both will be healthy for training camp, but lingering injuries cause concern.

PLAYER WITH MOST TO PROVE

--CB Dre Kirkpatrick: Entering his third year, the former first-round pick needs to prove capable of holding down a starting cornerback spot for the next five-to-10 years. The Bengals drafted him to do just that, but after a first season marred by injury he played sparingly last year with a role that increased due to injuries late in the year. He intercepted three passes including a pick-6, but was also exposed in coverage.

The arrival of first-round pick Darqueze Dennard places even more pressure on Kirkpatrick to prove he can play; otherwise, he could fall back to fifth on the depth chart behind Leon Hall, Terence Newman, Adam Jones and Dennard.

BEST LONGSHOT ROOKIE

--James Wright, WR, Louisiana State, Round 7/239th overall: Wright caught only 25 passes in his college career, and none last season as a backup to first-round draftee Odell Beckham Jr. and second-rounder Jarvis Landry.

But Wright was a special-teams standout in college and will probably begin his pro career in that role, which may give him an edge over last year's second-round pick, Cobi Hamilton, and perhaps a chance to displace Brandon Tate, originally a third-round pick (New England, 2009) who has struggled since the Bengals claimed him off waivers in 2011.

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NFL Team Report - Cincinnati Bengals - NOTES, QUOTES

--Wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, the Bengals' sixth-round draft pick from 2013, didn't finish off camp exactly the way he would like as he dropped a few passes he should have caught.

But that barely diminished what was a strong offseason and strong step toward making the Bengals 53-man roster.